The Monster Apocalypse

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Brin, what is that?" Ash asked.

"What is what?"

"On your head?"

Five zombies stomped toward Mr. Barker's white 4Runner from across the way. They were slow—but they weren't letting up. Worse, the group was struggling trying to fit everyone into a vehicle that was only supposed to seat five people.

"Can you sit in the back?" Dylan asked Anaya. He still held a tight grip on his frightened buddy Brent, who looked not so much gay and in love with Dylan, but scared enough to let anyone with a pulse wrap his or her arms around him.

"I'm not getting in the back!" Anaya shouted. "Why do I have to get in the back?"

"I'm sorry, but—you know why."

"I want you to tell me, Dylan."

"I won't," he said. "I have too much class to be crude—"

"Shut up!" Brin shouted. "All of you!" She opened the back door and grabbed Dylan by his tight blue t-shirt. "Dylan, you get in the back. With your friend."

The young man looked ready to protest, but then he looked at Brent and grinned big. "Actually, you know what, Anaya? You take the front. Brent and I will gladly take the back." He scooted into the back of the Toyota and kicked some binders and scraps of paper to the side. He reached his hand out for Brent. "We may have to lay on top of each other. If it gets too crowded, I mean."

Brent glanced at Brin and opened his eyes wide in terror, like he was scared to subject himself to any more of Dylan's come-ons. But then he looked back, saw the zombies marching toward the vehicle, and jumped onto Dylan's lap with no questions asked.

Brin slammed the back door shut and opened the side door. "OK, Ash, you on the left side, and Crispin, in the middle. I'll take the right side."

"You don't want me to sit next to you, Brin?" Anaya asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"You know why not."

"I want you to tell me why not—"

"Because you take up two seats!" Brin shouted, raising her arms up high. "There. One of us had to say it. Now get in the front!"

In any other situation, Anaya would have scolded the girl, but they had no time to fight—she glanced quickly at the creatures and pushed herself up onto the passenger seat.

The zombies were ten seconds away. Eight seconds. The group needed to close the doors and get out of that parking lot, pronto.

Mr. Barker turned on the ignition and looked back to see a crowded gaggle of teenagers, enough to make his vehicle a mini classroom. Anaya was the last to slam the door.

"Everyone in?"

"Yes!" they all shouted.

"All right."

He put the car in reverse and sped up to twenty miles an hour as the back of his vehicle slammed five zombies to the ground. Then he sped forward, running over the bodies and turning the creatures' heads into mush, and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Woo hoo!" he shouted. "We did it!"

Ash leaned over Crispin and tapped Brin on the shoulder. He wasn't showing the enthusiasm of their teacher. "Brin, you didn't answer my question."